Spread Betting Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 shed 1.1% to close at 5,483.8.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index fell 1.5% or 15.0 points to settle at 973.6.
• DJIA declined 1.6% to close at 11,997.7. NASDAQ tumbled 2.0% to settle at 2,596.4. S&P 500 dropped 2.1% to settle at 1,234.4.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 1.4% lower, at 8,544.2.
• In Asia, crude oil for January delivery is trading 0.2% or $0.23 lower at $98.10 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.2% lower against the USD at $1.5611, marginally higher against the EUR at €1.1719, and 0.2% lower against the JPY at ¥121.24.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

UK Spread Betting Markets

• UK markets ended sharply lower yesterday, after European Central Bank (ECB) President, Mario Draghi’s comment dampened market expectations that the bank would massively step up its bond purchases.
• Among financials, Lloyds Banking Group, the top laggard on the FTSE 100 index, declined 7.4%, while Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland retreated 3.7% and 5.5%, respectively, following disappointing results of the latest European bank stress tests.
• Engineering groups, GKN and IMI lost 3.4% and 4.5%, respectively, after Credit Suisse downgraded its rating on both the stocks.
• Aviva lost 3.0%, after BNP Paribas downgraded its rating on the stock to “Neutral” from “Outperform”.
• Man Group lost 3.3%, after Merrill Lynch cut its earnings forecasts on the firm. Mothercare fell 5.9%, after it lost its place in the FTSE 250 index in a review announced late on Wednesday.
• FTSE 100 shed 1.1% to close at 5,483.8, while FTSE 250 fell 1.9% to settle at 10,086.1.
• British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco and GlaxoSmithKline, climbed between 0.7% and 1.5%, as investors preferred defensive stocks.
• Banking stocks, Lloyds Banking Group, RBS and Barclays, sank between 3.7% and 7.4%, following disappointing results of the latest European bank stress tests.
• IMI fell 4.5%, after Credit Suisse downgraded its rating on the stock, citing its exposure to a “difficult recession in Europe”.
• Oil related stocks, Essar Energy and AMEC, dropped 6.4% and 3.6%, respectively, following lower crude oil prices.
• Miners, Xstrata and Rio Tinto slumped 4.4% and 3.5%, respectively, tracking lower base metal prices.
• Lonmin lost 4.1%, as platinum prices retreated.
• For more on trading UK shares see spread betting on UK shares.

Forex Spread Betting Markets

• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.2% lower against the USD at $1.5611, marginally higher against the EUR at €1.1719, and 0.2% lower against the JPY at ¥121.24.
• The EUR/USD is trading 0.2% lower at $1.3321.
• The EUR is trading 0.2% lower against the JPY at ¥103.46.
• The EUR is trading lower against most of its major peers, amid speculation that the European leaders meeting in Brussels would fail to provide a quick solution to the region’s sovereign-debt crisis. This came after the European Central Bank dampened expectations that it would buy more government bonds.
• The JPY is trading higher against most of its major peers, as mounting concerns about the European sovereign debt crisis boosted demand for safe haven assets.
• Yesterday, the EUR ended lower against the USD, after the European Central Bank’s chief signalled that the central bank would not immediately expand its bond purchase program to help distressed European countries.
• The AUD and NZD closed lower against the USD, amid fears that the European debt crisis would weigh on the global economy, dampening demand for higher-yielding assets.
• The CAD ended higher against the USD, on hopes that it might benefit from rising oil prices and North American economic growth.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread betting.

Commodities Spread Betting Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading 0.3% lower today, at $1,704.68 per ounce.
• Gold for February delivery declined 1.8% or $31.40 to end at $1,713.40 per ounce yesterday. This came as the dollar rose against the major currencies, decreasing the demand for the precious metal as a hedge against inflation.
• In Asia, crude oil for January delivery is trading 0.2% or $0.23 lower at $98.10 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude oil for January delivery dropped 2.1% or $2.15 to settle at $98.34 per barrel. This came as the dollar gained against the euro, decreasing the demand for commodities as an alternative investment, and as investors remained concerned about the European debt crisis after bearish comments from ECB president, Mario Draghi.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.